Blind
by Prime627
Summary: Wheeljack was in an accident that left him with the possibility of losing his optics, and who's left to care for him when everyone else is busy? Arcee's not too sure how she feels about that...
1. Chapter 1

Arcee knew that one day, Wheeljack would hurt himself. But of course it had to be the day when Optimus was on patrol with Ratchet, which meant she got to play Prime _and_ medic.

"Wheeljack, what is it?" She had snapped over the comm. She didn't like being commed by him. It generally equaled bad news.

"Geez, you're sour today. I'll cut right to the chase. I need you to Bridge me back to base so Sunshine can fix me up and send me home, but there's a catch. You have to come through and help me."

"Wheeljack, why would I want to do that?"

"Because I'm blind," he had admitted over a pause. "Or, atleast I think I am. See, that's why I want you to come through, to see if I can see your beautiful af-"

"Alright, I'll be there in a second!"

Now she was bent over Wheeljack, who twitched and whined like a sparkling with a tank-ache. "Hold still..."

She delicately pulled shrapnel from his optic. She sighed when she finished and she put cloth over his optics before she held them in place with guaze. "Ratchet will check up on you when he comes back with Optimus."

"I was wondering why I got special treatment..." Wheeljack sat up and was about to hop off the berth when Arcee pushed him back down.

"I wouldn't do that," she said softly as she laid him back down. "No more running off. You're staying right here and telling me what happened..."

Wheeljack made a small sound as he did what he was told, recounting a tale about a grenade thrown into an Energon mine and it not going as far as he had thought it would and how the thrower had tried to get away from the grenade as fast as he could and made the huge mistake of glancing back to see how much time he had left when it deemed it time to explode.

"And then I commed in when I came back around. The Decepticons were gone, though, and I wasted a perfectly good grenade."

Arcee sat down beside him and readjusted the bandage across his optics. "Well, have fun telling Optimus and Ratchet what happened. They will probably ban you from grenades."

"For how long?"

"For, I don't know, forever."

"Pfft. They wouldn't dare." He rolled back over and Arcee growled in frustration.

She pressed her digit to the side of her helm. "Optimus, come in."

 _ **I hear you, Arcee**_.

"Any chance you're coming back soon?"

 _ **Negative. Ratchet and I are still looking for Energon and will not return until we have found enough to replace what we have lost. What is wrong, Arcee?**_

"Seems Sparky was injured with his own grenade."

Arcee heard a sharp laugh from Ratchet and a sound of disapproval from Optimus.

 _ **Arcee, I apologize, but you are to take care of him until Ratchet and I return, hopefully by this evening. We will see you then, Arcee. Optimus out.**_

Arcee cursed and stubbed her pede into the ground. "Wheeljack, it's just you and I for a while now, okay?"

"What? No Bulk? Where's my wrecking ball?"

"He and Bumblebee are out on a little trip with the humans and Optimus took Ratchet Energon hunting."

Wheeljack turned his helm to her direction. "Well, then I'll let you get comfy before we play Marco Polo. Are you going to be on the bottom?"

Arcee growled and she shoved a pillow under his helm. "Just get better so you can leave, okay?"

"You're even happier than Sunshine!"

"Wheeljack!"

"Alright, alright..." The Wrecker accepted the blanket and he tucked it under his arm as he rolled over onto his side. "I'll try to recharge and get out of your wires."

She scoffed and shook her helm before she walked to the computers. Would he ever leave? She looked back at Wheeljack and her shoulders dropped. She shouldn't be so hard... Wheeljack was the real one suffering. She had almost lost her legs. She knew how much that had hurt, physically obviously, but emotionally. Wheeljack was possibly going to lose his optics.

Arcee walked back over, about to apologize, when Wheeljack let out a snore and the femme smiled as she touched his forehelm before she turned away.

A small smile formed on Wheeljack's scarred lips and he resumed pretending to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Arcee, this is Optimus. I apologize. Ratchet and I have not found a single Energon deposit, but we will continue looking. How is Wheeljack? I am sure he is safe in your care. I do expect Bulkhead and Bumblebee to be back soon enough, so do not believe for a minute you are on your own. Optimus out.**_

Arcee saved _that_ message and played the second one she had received moments ago. Wheeljack was already chuckling, but he hadn't heard the one from Bulkhead!

 _ **Hey, Arcee. Bulkhead here. I heard Jackie got hurt, and I'd like to be there to give you emotional support, but the concert took longer than expected, so Bee and I are taking the children to the campground, you know? The one with Firespark and the crew? Yeah, so, umm... Looks like you're on your own for a bit until Optimus and Ratchet come back with that Energon they promised. I can't wait to refuel! See you later, Arcee. Bulkhead out.**_

Wheeljack chuckled more and hugged himself. "Bulk's such a good emotional support."

Arcee crossed her arms and she leaned back against Ratchet's computer, something he would _never_ let her do if he was there. She somewhat considered this as pay-back. "Aren't they all? So looks like we'll be on our own today." She walked over and unwrapped his helm.

Wheeljack smiled and he sat up, moving his helm around just to be irritating. Arcee growled. "What's with the holes in your thighs?"

She flinched and looked at him. Didn't everyone know what was wrong with her thighs? "An improvement," she said simply, but it really was what allowed her to keep her legs. "It's a long story."

"And I still have my audios, so enlighten me!" Wheeljack blinked his optics several times when Arcee removed the cloth. She bit back a sigh. His optics were worse.

"I was kidnapped by Airachnid, forced to watch my partner die, and when I tried to escape, she threaded a pole through my thighs and left me to hang until some Wrecker and a scout came through with a grenade and-"

"Oh, that was you? Frag..." He rubbed his helm, grunting when Arcee took his chin and jerked his helm back so she could examine his optics further. "You reeked of infection. I'm glad you got back on your pedes. Bumblebee was worried you wouldn't."

She nodded absently, groaning.

"What's wrong, doc-bot?"

"Your optics," she said. "They're failing. They've gone from blue to white since I've checked them last."

Wheeljack was silent. He knew what that meant. Blue meant there was Energon fueling them. White meant that the body decided it liked not fueling his optics and would prefer to stumble around in the dark.

Arcee stroked his helm in a soothing way. She didn't know what else to do. She hadn't treated Wheeljack before. Different bots had different ways of being soothed. Bumblebee preferred physical contact while Optimus refused it.

Wheeljack finally spoke. "I'm sorry."

"Why? For your accident? Come on, Wheeljack. Accidents happen."

"No, you're stuck with me, your least favorite 'bot in the world."

Arcee snorted and sat down in a chair next to him. "Rather you than the giddy kids _and_ Bulk and Bee. You're even a vacation from Ratchet."

"I note you do not rank me higher than Optimus." Wheeljack was laying on his back, lifting a servo with his index finger erected towards the ceiling as he made his comment. Arcee giggled.

"Optimus Prime is...well, Optimus _Prime_! Come on!" She watched him lay his servo back down on his chest. He folded his hands over his spark. "You're jealous aren't you?"

"Of Optimus? Nah. He needs a good femme to keep him alert and on his pedtips."

She shrugged and sighed. "I really don't think getting into a relationship with another mech is going to help me..."

Wheeljack turned his helm as if to look at her. "Why?"

"I've lost too many, Wheeljack. Who's going to stick around me? I'm bad luck."

"Or you've just been given bad luck," he said softly as he lifted his helm off the pillow. "I'm sure you're not the bad luck itself. Primus just has a sense of humor, that's all."

She scoffed. "It's not a sense of humor I'd like to get involved in...I'm probably the punchline of every one of his jokes."

Wheeljack shrugged and yawned, rubbing at his chest, then scratching at his side. "Perhaps. You must truly feel honored."

Arcee got up and she pulled the blanket back over him. "Good night, Wheeljack..."

She watched him sleep a little longer before she turned away to gather some Energon for when he woke.

 **In case you get confused, I sometimes reference other stories, like** Losing It **, which is about Arcee almost losing her legs and her sanity to Airachnid, but I will try to help you guys understand what's going on.**

 **To be honest, I have no idea where this is going, but I have the end already planned x3 Muahahaha.**

 **-Prime627**


	3. Chapter 3

Arcee was uncertain of two things. One, if Optimus and the others would ever come back. Two, if she was really able to help Wheeljack. His optics had dulled to a lovely shade of grey, which meant that he was forever blind. There was nothing she, Ratchet, or his body could do for him now. All he could do was wait for a miracle that was probably never going to happen. To keep her and himself distracted from the fact that he was crippled for life now, Wheeljack and Arcee did engage in Marco Polo, if only to get him to maneuver around the base without any problem. That had yet to happen.

Wheeljack laid where he had fallen and he sighed in frustration. "Can't I just blow this place up and remove these cheating corners?"

"Afraid not. Optimus might be a little upset." Arcee leaned against the wall, watching him. She had explained that if Wheeljack wanted help, he would have to give it to himself. She had given that rule to Bulkhead, who had to limp around the base for weeks before he finally came close to full-range of motion.

"A little? Nah, he'd shake my servo and congratulate me by shoving me through the GroundBridge and into the Arctic!" Wheeljack sat up and he shook his helm hard, as if that could somehow get his optics to work again. They stayed grey and blank when they had been blue and full of mischief. Arcee sighed in longing. Then she moved her position.

"Marco."

"Polo."

"Marco!"

"Frag it, Arcee, you can't cheat!"

"You're supposed to say _Polo_!"

Wheeljack put one servo on the wall on his right and he started to run, following the wall and trusting his pedes to find level ground. He ran smack into Arcee. "Polo," he grunted and he rolled off of her. He scowled up at the ceiling, his optic ridges knitting together. "What were you doing?"

Arcee touched his servo to let him now she was getting up so he didn't smack his helm into hers trying to do the same. He waited until he heard both of her pedes click on the ground when she shifted her weight. Then he stood. "I was running ahead a bit to see where I could hide next and get you to guess where you were, but when I turned around to circle back, I was bowled over by a Wrecker-projectile."

"Dog-pile Wrecker-style."

"The only way to play, injuries included?"

"You got it. Injuries free of charge." Wheeljack touched the wall and focused. "We are...in the hall leading out of the main room to the quarters?"

"Right! You're getting good at this!"

"Nah. I can feel where Ratchet threw Bulkhead through one wall and into this one. Optimus did a good job _trying_ to patch it up, but I can still feel the depression." Then he walked away, still feeling the wall.

Arcee ran her servos over the wall where Wheeljack had felt the dent, but she could feel nothing. So she closed her optics and she gasped. She could feel it. Her optics, she found, lied to her. Wheeljack, though crippled, was actually taking in more than any other bot, even more than possibly Soundwave!

Okay, maybe not, she thought. But it's close! "Wheeljack!" She ran after him. "Wait up."

Wheeljack stopped in front of his quarters door and he turned his helm in her direction. "It may not be clean, so if you'd like to wait out here, my lovely escort..."

Arcee nodded. "I suppose now would be a good time to play silent Marco Polo. I'll be in the main room, trying to contact the Autobots."

Wheeljack nodded, so Arcee left him to go and try to contact Optimus and Bulkhead, but neither party was answering. She considered throwing something of Ratchet's as another form of pay-back, but she resisted the urge and instead stared at the computer screens.

Wheeljack walked back to her, using the walls as a support as he called out to her. "Arcee, my optics are hurting..."

Arcee ran to him immediately and checked his optics herself. They were fading to black, which meant infection. She couldn't treat this infection. She hadn't worked on optics in her short training as a medic. She needed Ratchet badly.

"Stay here. I'll call Ratchet and he'll rush over immediately to take care of you."

The only problem with that was that Ratchet wasn't responding. No one did.

Wheeljack laid his helm down and he covered his optics. "It hurts...Arcee, it hurts...how can anything hurt so badly?"

Arcee stroked his helm, shaking as she whined. Why wasn't anyone answering!?

 **ooo**

Optimus watched Ratchet. "You should answer."

Ratchet ignored him for a moment as he dug around for the Energon signal he was getting. "She's probably just calling to ask when we are coming home again. She gets nervous, you know?"

"But it could be serious..." Optimus reached for his comm.

Ratchet stopped him. "You're getting nervous, too. Everything is fine, I promise."

The medic finally held up his find, the cause of the Energon signal: a tiny splinter of a crystal.

Optimus sighed. "We cannot return to the base. We do not have anything to show for our hard work..."

So the medic and the Prime went on in search for the much needed Energon, Optimus struggling to forget that Arcee had commed them several times. Eventually, with the help of Ratchet's excited exclamation that he had another signal, he forgot all about what had happened back at base, which was unfortunate.

One of his warriors was about to lose his optics forever.


	4. Chapter 4

Wheeljack was in a lot of pain, so Arcee had little to no choice on what she should do next. She set herself up for surgery, then she put Wheeljack in stasis. She had three Energon cubes by her, what she managed to find in storage and in the RecRoom. It wasn't a lot, and it left no room for error. She had to remove both optics without any mistake. She had to clip the right wires in the right order or else she could risk cutting the wrong wire and making Wheeljack's spark pump the Energon right out of him within moments.

No pressure.

She took a deep breath and she prepared herself mentally before she went about removing the optics.

 **ooo**

Wheeljack woke up slowly. The world was dark, but that had been expected. He had actually grown accustomed to it over the past...how many days has it been? Two? Maybe not even a day? He wasn't sure. He sat up, but gentle servos pushed him back down.

"Easy, Wheeljack."

Arcee. He had forgotten what she looked like, but her voice stayed with him. He smiled. "Worried about me, huh? Silly Arcee. I've gone and gotten blown up before."

"Have you lost both optics before?"

"No, but I've come pretty dang close!" He chuckled and reached out to touch her face. He poked her in the audio. "Primus..." He moved his servo over and drove his thumb into her optic. "Almost there." He felt her servo grab his and guide it to cradle her cheek. "Okay, so maybe I need a little work, but I'll be okay."

"You think so, don't you?" Wheeljack could almost hear her optics roll around in their sockets.

"Where's Prime's big aft?"

"Still looking for Energon."

Wheeljack dropped his servo and he sat up. "Think he's coming back? How many cubes did you use on me to cover up your mistakes?"

"Two. And a half."

"Primus, Arcee. And I thought I was in good servos. You could have killed me!"

He was teasing of course, but Arcee, she flinched. He could feel it, he just wasn't sure how. He knew she was looking away, probably studying the ground or an interesting speck on the wall... "Arcee, I was just kidding. I'm really, really grateful, and to prove them, I'm quitting cold turkey. No more grenades."

He gave it a pause.

"After I blow up my supply. No way am I wasting valuable grenades just because of a little accid-"

He heard engines as they rumbled. He heard tires squeal to a stop and the sound of Team Prime transforming.

There was silence and Wheeljack moved his helm slightly to pick up any sound. It was scaring him, not being able to see or hear what was going on. He decided he didn't like that feeling.

"Arcee? What have you done to Wheeljack?" Ratchet's voice. Not happy. In shock?

"Arcee, why did you not contact us if there was a problem?" Optimus. Concerned. Good old Optimus.

"Jackie, what happened to you?" Bulkhead. Scared.

Arcee's voice was furious and irritated. "I _tried_ to contact you guys, but you didn't respond! Ratchet kept ignoring my calls, Bulkhead, you never answered your comm..." She took a deep breath. Wheeljack knew she was trembling. She was stressed out.

"Guys, I'm fine. Just had a little grenade accident and now I'm blind as a bat, but that's okay. No more grenades. And I'll probably be better as a doorstop than anything else now."

Optimus moved closer. Wheeljack didn't have to see to know it was Optimus. He could feel the floor tremor under his pedes. He tipped his helm back by habit.

"Wheeljack, I apologize for your disability."

"Hey, maybe Ratch' can make some new awesome robot-eyes for you!" Miko, always looking on the bright side. Primus, what did she think they were? Gods?

"Yeah, like how he fixed Bee's voice box. Soon, I'll be able to see through _sonar_ and _echolocation_."

"Pretty big words for a Wrecker, Jackie. Did you strain yourself?"

Wheeljack reached out for Bulkhead, jabbing Optimus in the belly with his thumb. "You, thumb, and I have some words to say to each other. Bulk, get over here so I can pat your shoulder and tell you something!"

He finally located Bulkhead and he cleared his throat. "Bulk, I strained myself so hard my optics flew out of my helm. No joke, true story, not pulling your leg, I won't even try to look for your leg to pull on it." He patted his shoulder. He groaned when he felt lighthelmed. "Whoa, now..."

Arcee laid him back down and Ratchet was over him in an instant.

"He's low on Energon!"

"Get a cube!"

"Wheeljack, stay with me, okay? Talk to me, how are you feeling?"

Wheeljack sighed softly. "Like my processor dropped out the back..."

"He's fine," Bulkhead said, teasing him. Wheeljack batted at him and smacked Arcee with the back of his servo.

" _Primus forbid!_ "

Ratchet, after he had topped off Wheeljack's holding tank with pure Energon, looked at Arcee. "He's your charge. Help him survive without his sight just as Optimus tried to get you to survive without your legs."

Arcee grunted and looked down at the sleeping Wrecker. "I'm pretty sure Optimus was convinced I'd walk. He didn't really tell me how to live without my legs, he just tried to get me to walk until I could. Can't really do that with Wheeljack. Totally different problem.  
Ratchet shrugged and he turned away. "You are still teaching him."

"Great. We'll play Marco Polo." Arcee sat down next to Wheeljack and she touched his cheek gently. "I wish I didn't have to remove his optics."

"You did what you had to do, Arcee." Ratchet turned around and he looked the blue femme in the optic. "You have impressed me."

She blinked in surprise.

"Where was that femme that did almost anything to try to get out of removing my T-cog?"

"She died of fright, but I'm sure I can find her again if you want her."

Ratchet rolled his optics and he touched Arcee's helm as he walked by. "Good night, Arcee."

Arcee smiled at his back, then looked down at Wheeljack, who was still sleeping, but a smile had formed on his lips as if he was peacefully dreaming. _Probably of explosions_ , she thought and she pulled the blankets over him before she laid down on the other med-berth and watched him sleep until she closed her own optics and dreamed.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Epilogue**_

Wheeljack stood in the clearing. He had been called by his team to offer some assistance, which was great. He was getting tired of laying around all day and begging to be released onto the field again. He even learned how to fight with his disability, and not against it. He refused to wear the cloth wrap over his optics to hide the empty sockets. To tell the truth, he liked the screams of horror he heard from the Decepticons. He even got Megatron to hesitate!

But the Autobots believe that he doesn't wear it because it irritates his faceplates, and it does, to a small degree.

There, he thought. He heard his team's grunts and groans as they fought servo-to-servo with the 'cons. He hurried over, reached behind his back for his swords, and then he entered the fight.

He followed the gasps. The Decepticons, the new drones, atleast, were not used to his empty sockets. The Autobots were and had no problem looking him over and not reacting negatively. Breakdown atleast had a patch over his missing optic. Wheeljack didn't think a patch would improve his appearance.

And neither did yawning holes for optics, but it was a start. He was unique, more so than he had been before!

He plunged his sword into the nearest drone, tipping his helm as he listened for others to come and reluctantly attack the newcomer.

See, though they were different factions, they still had the same Cybertronian-customs. They were taught to respect the young, old, wounded, and sick.

And so that was their downfall.

He attacked the drones that had once been attacking Bulkhead. He could hear his friend not too far away. Bulkhead ran off in the direction of Optimus. The Prime, from what Wheeljack could hear, was surrounded by drones and given no room to fight. That was before the wrecking ball got there and put a dent in the drones.

Wheeljack turned his helm around.

Arcee was fighting back to back with Bumblebee. They were fine.

Optimus had Bulkhead.

Ratchet was back at base.

Everything was good now.

Except, he found as he pressed his servo to the ground, that the Autobots had a spy.

Starscream.

The little Seeker was trembling as he watched, somewhere beyond the clearing, probably in the trees, most likely gripping his servos and not bothering to keep his wings from rattling against each other. While the Autobots were a little occupied, Wheeljack was not. And he went straight after Starscream.

He heard the Seeker squeal in horror and he heard the beginnings of a transformation, so he judged quickly and threw his sword straight forward.

There was a small _shlink_ as the sword went through the wing and embedded in the tree. Starscream howled in pain and tried to pull at the sword.

"No, hang around, Starscream. This battle is very interesting, don't you think?"

Starscream still struggled. He yelped when Wheeljack reached around and grabbed him by the throat.

"I said, _hang around_. Optimus will be very interested in your prescense, don't you think? I wonder what Megatron will give for you."

"You wouldn't dare!"

Wheeljack turned his helm towards Starscream and he grinned in amusement. "Why do people keep saying that? Can they see my hesitation in my optics? No, I don't think that's the case. I think they're just scared, but of what?"

Starscream whimpered and backed away from Wheeljack as far away as he could go.

Bulkhead and Arcee ran over.

"You okay, Wheeljack?" Bulkhead helped his friend out of the trees while Arcee retrieved Starscream.

"Yeah, but Star's acting a little weird. Is there something wrong with my face?"

Wheeljack grinned as he turned his helm to Bulkhead so the Wrecker could look.

"Nothing wrong that I see."

Optimus treated Starscream's wing and guided the Seeker through the Autobot GroundBridge. While they were walking through the vortex of swirling green, purple, red, and yellow, Optimus stopped. Wheeljack knew that because he bumped into Bumblebee, who had been right behind the Prime. He muttered an apology to the scout, he chirped an answer.

"Wheeljack, you have proved to be a valuable warrior on the team. I hope you stay."

Wheeljack smiled and nodded. "I can't really go anywhere, Prime. Can't fly the Jackhammer, can't drive anywhere...I'm pretty much stuck here, where I know where to walk and get around." He started walking when the Prime did. He could tell Optimus was amused. "Consider me a captive."

"I know you do not feel as though you are a captive, Wheeljack." Optimus touched the warrior's shoulder. "And I am glad you cannot leave us. We need you here."

Wheeljack batted the Prime's servo off his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah... I'm important, yada yada, go hold open that door?"

"Your psychic abilities startle me." Optimus brushed his helm gently and led Starscream into a room where he would be held while Ratchet contacted Megatron.

Wheeljack sat down on the berth where he belonged and listened. He smiled.

He belonged somewhere.

 **Alright, blind Wheeljack is awesome. I based him off of Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Jayfeather from Warriors by Erin Hunter. If you don't know one or the other (or Primus forbid both of them), check 'em out! They're kickbutt. I love them.**

 **Hope this was a good ending, hope all questions have been answered about Wheeljack's place in the team, and I'm very interested to know who else you guys want blown up and blinded XD**

 **Alright, guys, I'll be waiting x3**

 **-Prime627**


End file.
